Mechanism for operating washing-machines



(No Mndel.)

A. MENDENHALL. MECHANISM FOR OPERATING WASHING MACHINES, &c. No. 474,915.

Patented May 17, 1892.

. UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALLEN MENDENHALL, OF EARLHAM, IOWA.

MECHANISM FOR OPERATING WASHING-MACHINES, 80C.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 474,915, dated May 1'7, 1892.

Application filed June 9, 1891. Serial No. 395,663 (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ALLEN MENDENHALL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Earlham, in the county of Madison and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mechanism for Operating WVashing-Machines or Chorus; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to certain improvements in mechanism for operating washingmachines or churns; and it consists in certain novelty in the construction, arrangement, and combination of the various parts of the same, all of which I will now proceed to point out and describe, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which said mechanism is shown as applied to what are generally known as agitator washing-machines.

In said drawings, Figurel is a top plan view of the machine, showing my improved mechanism attached thereto. Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section taken on the line as :r of Fig. 1.

Referring to said drawings, A represents a tub or clothes-receptacle supported upon suitable legs a.

0 represents a removable false bottom supported upon ribs 0, and E corner-pieces pro- I vided with openings 6.

F is a hinged lid or cap which closes the top of the tub.

ing downwardly-projecting agitator-fingers J.

On the upper end of the shaft is secured a gear H.

' I is a reciprocating toothed rack mounted in a way h and engaging with the gear H.

K are standards or arms secured to the upper side of the lid near its hinged end.

L is a horizontal shaft mounted in bearings k in said standards.

M is a fly-wheel mounted 011 the outer end of the shaft L, said wheel being provided with a handle m.

N is a crank secured on the inner end of the shaft L and connected with the toothed rackI by means of a pitman 0. As the shaft is turned the rack is reciprocated, and through the intermediate connecting-gearing the agitater-fingers are turned first in one direction and then in the other.

As before stated, the operating mechanism may be used with a churn as well as a washing-machine. In the latter case I preferably place a suitable receptacle within the tub containing churning apparatus, the agitatorfingers of which are operated by the mechanism I have described.

If desired, said mechanism may be used with an entirely separate receptacle or churn.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

The combination, with the central bearing G, the short vertical shaft mounted in said bearing, and the gear H, secured to the upper end of said shaft, of the reciprocating rack I, engaging said gear, the horizontal shaft L, mounted in suitable bearings and provided with a crank N, and the pitman 0, connecting said crank and rack, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony whereof I altix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ALLEN MENDENHALL.

YVitn esses:

ENOOH MALES, DAVID HocKnrT. 

